12 February 2022 12:00 am Views - 102
By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana
The party leaders paid a glowing tribute to late Minister Mangala Samaraweera during the condolence vote moved by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said Mr. Samaraweera was a person who never mixed his politics with personal friendships.
“Mr. Samaraweera never tarnished his personal relationship with any one because of his political ideologies. He dedicated himself to my victory in the 2005 Presidential Elections where I had to face many challenges. I recall this with much gratitude,” the Prime Minister said.
“He was a strong critic and possessed propaganda skills sending his opponents reeling. Mangala never forgot his party supporters whenever he held a ministerial portfolio. He believed in liberalism but this ideology was based on the culture in the district he represented. He was a creative politician and the memories which I have of him will not diminish,” Mr. Rajapaksa added.
Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe recalled how Mr. Samaraweera requested him to speak to the Administrator of United States Agency for International Development Samantha Power and get Pfizer vaccines to Sri Lanka. “I called him when he was at Lanka hospital and told him that we would continue the dialogue. However he passed away unexpectedly,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said.
“Mr. Samaraweera rejected the Non-Alligned Movement concept as it came during the cold war and during the time Soviet Union existed. The whole cabinet welcomed the decision made by him to co-sponsor the Geneva resolution after 2015. Mr Samaraweera did this in line with the joint statement made by Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the then UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon,” he added.